Game Time
by CrystalMoonlightII
Summary: The weekend has arrived. Nikki isn't back at Nutmeg Cafe until Tuesday. Mike doesn't have any shows with the band, either. What better way to spend the night with your boyfriend than making him play old video games? After all, if you love a guy enough you have to show him the classics, right? It's going to be an eventful evening. (A continuation of the Social Problems tale!)


**Remember Social Problems? You know, the Nikki focused story of the Problems Series I wrote last year? Well, for a long time I considered giving it a continuation. I even started a draft concept around New Year time but went back to the drawing board. This right here is the definitive version. The inspiration comes from 90s platformers such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro.**

 **I'm also opening the floor to my readers. A new poll has arrived on my profile. Which girl would you like to see more often in the Problems Series? Perhaps another story or a short romantic oneshot? Cast your vote and let me know! With that out of the way, let's begin!**

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 **Game Time  
**

A long weekend – the best time to enjoy a few games. Nikki didn't have a shift at Nutmeg Café until Tuesday and Mike didn't have any shows with the band until the following Saturday. What was on the agenda tonight? Perhaps a beat 'em up brawler? Maybe a first person shooter? No – the blue-haired lady gave an excited smirk. She had something even better planned.

"You ever played any of the Crash Bandicoot games?"

She asked her question with hope – adjusting her glasses to bring her blond love into clearer focus.

He sat there patiently, sipping his beer with a smile.

A shake of the head was his response. He set aside his beverage, shuffling a little closer to sit beside her. "Na, can't say I have. Didn't really game when I was a kid so… you know. Most of the games I know and the shit I play comes from spending time with you."

Such news was terrible – abhorrent, even. Nikki reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders, eyes of blue widened in horror. "You've never played Crash Bandicoot? Man, that's shitty…. You haven't lived until you've tried Dingodile's boss fight…"

"Well… you'll have to forgive me. You know I wasn't raised in a gaming ho-"

Nope – there were to be no excuses. Ann-Marie silenced him with a finger upon the lips. "No amount of smooth talk's getting out of this one," she warned with a playful smile, "Sit tight while I get the console and the AV adapters. We're on the PSone tonight."

Without as much as a heartbeat, she took off across the room, sliding on the hardwood in black socks - last she checked the original PlayStation was in the storage closet beside the Saturn.

"This is the most fired up I've seen you in a while," Mike snorted, slamming back the last of his booze with a hearty gulp and tossing the greenish bottle in the trash. "If you took your job as seriously as you took gaming you'd have a nicer apartment than me by now."

Nikki threw upon the closet doors – her eyes meeting with the sight of many boxes of various different shapes and sizes. Consoles and computer parts sat in a neatly organised mountain of her own creation, categorized by system popularity and the time of release.

Before diving headlong into the treasure trove of wonderful relics she paused – nailing Mike to the wall with her discontented gaze. Extra vicious, she scowled, giving her signature customer service face. "Please tell me you've at least played a platformer game before. Please… please?"

"Nope," Winters shook his head, reaching across to the drink's cooler beside Nikki's bed. With a flick of the thumb, he opened the latch, reaching in for another brew. In a single swift movement, he popped the bottle cap with his teeth, spitting it into the trash.

"Can't say I have," he finally answered, bringing her already erratic heartbeat to overdrive with the revelation. "No… wait! There was that one time!"

At last – a glimmer of hope in the dark and foreboding pool that was her partner's gaming life.

Setting his drink aside, Mikey recalled with a furrowed brow. "Sonic Heroes. I think that's what it was called. Does that count as a platformer? Oh... no... Got it wrong! I think it was Sonic… Rise of Lyric? Something like that? Yeah! That's the one!"

Rage bubbled up to the surface. Nikki felt her fingers squeeze uncontrollably around the edges of the PlayStation box, the hairs at the back of her neck standing on edge.

Getting back to her feet, nudging the closet shut with her heel, she stormed over, giving Mike a low, terrifying glare. "We don't talk about _that_ game…. Mention it again and you're sleeping on the floor tonight."

Mike shrank under the fearsome might of her icy orbs, backing against the edge of the bed with beer squeezed in-hand. "Did I piss in your cereal or something?"

Nikki hissed under her breath, plopping down in front of the television and taking out the various cables. "Biggest waste of my time last year…. I'll use a comparison you'll get."

Between connecting the AV adapter in the side and slotting plugs into wall sockets, she stopped dead in her tracks to relive the horrible moment in all of its scarring weight.

"Imagine you're holding a show at Lusties, okay? Picture it. You've sold more tickets than ever before. You're about to make some good money… and then… BANG!"

She slammed her hands into the floor for dramatic effect, looking back with blue sapphires awash with fire. "You turn up at the club and there's two middle-aged women sat by the bar drinking soda! SODA!"

"Ouch," Mikey shuddered at the thought, nervously tracing his fingertips around the sides of his beer bottle. "It was that bad, huh? Fuck me…."

Nikki nodded, connecting the controllers to the ports and shuffling back to Mike's side. "That bad," she clarified. "So yeah…. Mention Lyric again and you can count on one thing…."

She leaned in with a shy red hue overtaking her cheeks, placing a gentle peck against Mike's cheek. "….You'll be sleeping on the floor for a long… _long_ time. Catch my drift?"

"You got it," he chuckled softly, caressing the side of her face with his trademark suave smile. He was doing it again, flashing those green eyes of his with flare and poise. "You know…. When you get mad the Australian in your voice comes out so strong…."

She wasn't going to let him win that easily, however. "Flattery won't get you anywhere… not until you've played Crash with me, anyway."

"Then why are your cheeks bright red? If we turned off the lights about now, you'd glow in the dark, sweetheart. That right there tells me something…."

"Oh shuddup…."

* * *

Nikki watched with interest as Mike held the old grey controller in two very relaxed – alcohol slowed hands. So far, he seemed to be enjoying the whole affair. Running with a tiger cub across the Great Wall of China certainly peaked his interest – and escaping from a dinosaur in the prehistoric times even more so.

However, the decisive moment was here. Dingodile. A boss battle that brought back memories of a warm, warm childhood for the gamer girl. Intent on savouring every moment, she redoubled her focus and snuggled closer to her blond love – watching as she rested against his shoulder.

" _G'day mates! Dingodile's the name… and Uka Uka and Cortex game me orders to bring the crystals to them during the ice ages. So, gimme the goods, and shove of… or I'll roast ya's. No? Riiight! Now you've gone and done it! Them crystals are MINE!"_

Dingodile – the sight of him filled her heart with wonderful nostalgia. A half dingo, half crocodile creature with a quirky Australian accent.

As the battle flickered to life Nikki found herself clinging to the fabric of Mike's open shirt in excitement, watching with giddy anticipation as the quirky boss villain appeared on screen – seemingly holding a penguin hostage with a massive back mounted flamethrower.

" _Break out the buttah… cuz I'm gonna make toast!"_

Mikey laughed aloud at the awful one-liner, his fingers seemingly squeezing tighter around the controller in a showing of investment. "Real talk for a sec," he breathed hard to suppress his tipsy enjoyment. "Can you imagine him prowling around the outback with a flamethrower? Chasing kangaroos?"

Something about his sarcasm, perhaps in tandem with the joyous feeling this whole setup brought her, only made Ann-Marie cuddle even closer. "If that were a thing I'd move back there."

He laughed even harder at her quip, eyes fixated upon the television as he played the role of puppeteer, making Crash duck and dodge between burning yellowy projectiles within the arctic arena in which the feud was set.

"WOAH!"

Nikki basked in the euphoria, bobbing her head along to the quirky theme tune playing loudly from the speakers – her enjoyment only heightened at the sight of her boyfriend raging as crash evaporated into ashes – flashing back on screen with the coming of a second life.

"Try dodging around the fireballs… not walking into them," she instructed, taking the roll of a teacher with their student. How awesome a thought it was too, being a full-time gaming teacher for a living.

"Easy for you to say," the blond cried out, sliding down from the bed and shuffling closer to the screen. "You're not the one being shot with the massive fucking 'gun thing' he's got there!"

It was time to bring out the masterclass in Bandicoot. Nikki adjusted her glasses, hopping down from the side of her wide queen-sized bed to sit beside her struggling love. Hand gestures ablaze, she continued her instruction.

"The secret with this fight's to get the timing right with your dodging. See Dingodile's pattern when he shoots? You have to evade that. Dodge… dodge again, let him shoot out the ice… and then spin."

"Dodge, dodge again, and then spin… got it." Mikey, reinvigorated by her words, soldiered on with a passionate smirk.

Countless bangs and booms erupted from the T.V – all while the mantra for victory came time and time again from his lips. "Dodge… dodge… sp-"

"WOAH!" Alas, it was for naught. Nikki watched, halfway between amusement and pity as poor Crash crumbled into a pile of ashes all over again.

Mike sighed – defeated, bowing his head in what she assumed was admission of the game's final win. He presented the controller, placing it in her hands with a pleading expression. "Help me…. Pleeease? This ain't like the fighting games we play… or that weird little match-three thing where you bang the cute girls…. It's really hard."

"Alrighty," Nikki took the controller, dismissing her charge from his lesson of sorts. "You sit back and finish your drink. It's all under control."

Game time. Ann-Marie sucked in air, locking on to her target. There was to be no surrender – no retreat. The Dingo may have bested her man, but he'd not be allowed the smug satisfaction of a second victory. Just like Ogre in Tekken, he'd meet his maker today!

Indeed, she'd take Crash, and as the master manipulator of this controller, spin her way to a glorious final victory – one so grand that she'd leave Doctor Cortex and the rest of his evil henchmen quaking in fear.

* * *

" _Ya thrashed me mate…. No worries… but you'll soon be up against much worse…."_

Setting down the controller, Nikki let out a sigh of relief – looking back to see Mike wide-eyed and stunned. "How'd you do it? You make everything you play look so simple it's like child's play!"

"Years of experience," she answered, puffing out her chest proudly. She paused the game, moving back to sit beside Mike, linking her arm with his. "It isn't _that_ hard, Mike. If you played games as well as you sing… you'd be a millionaire by now."

"Even then I don't think I'd be as good as you," he admitted, leaning his tired head against her shoulder. "I know I kept on getting killed but… it was fun! Tonight's been a blast. Guess it's true what they say…. It's good to try different stuff. Different music, different games… Change things up a little."

Nikki agreed with him there – far more than he realized. Nodding, contented, she cuddled against her blond musician, resting upon his chest, taking a wonderfully indulgent snippet to breathe in the scent cologne in tandem with the low beating of his heart.

"How long's it been now, Mikey? You know… since we got together. I suck at remembering dates."

He gave a low chuckle, his fingers caressing the tips of her dyed-blue locks. "Almost seven months," he answered, "Feels so long ago now… since we first became official I mean. How many heads turned when news got around we were dating?"

There was no denying that – the sheer impact of their relationship becoming news around town. The singer dating the shy gamer girl – but more than anything there was one thing, despite all the others, that gave Nikki a flicker of selfish satisfaction.

"The look on Audrey's face when I brought you to Nutmeg after my shift that one time. I've never seen her act so… stange... in the four years I've known her. I wonder… Is she's jealous of me? No, shit that's crazy…. Audrey Belrose… jealous of me?"

"You proved her wrong," Mike sparked up, placing a gentle kiss upon Nikki's forehead. "We both proved her wrong. She didn't think you'd 'get a life' in the way you did… one where you're happy and you do whatever the fuck you want. That and… well… she was so bent on seeing me in a bad light she never thought I'd change."

Something about the deep-rooted cynicism Audrey held toward people felt off-putting. Regardless, Nikki pushed the feeling aside and surrendered to the warmth of Mike's embrace. "Tiffany's happy for us, though," she chimed, listening to every thump of her lover's chest with adoration.

"I'm happy…. Happier than ever. It's nice… that you put up with me. I know I'm backward and closed off sometimes… but you're always there. You get involved in my hobbies and we play games together… even though you're really bad at it."

"Keep picking on me like this and I'll bring you on stage with me next time I sing," Mike teased, placing a soft kiss upon her lips. "You're great… and I wouldn't change you. I could've gone down a harder road with fucked up consequences… but that's not what I want. You're the girl I want… You keep me grounded, level."

"Like how you help me feel a little comfier with going outside more often. Damn… I guess we help each other, don't we?"

Winters beamed like sunshine, his agreement all too obvious. "That's what being together's all about. I know you've had your social problems and I've sure as shit had relationship problems… but none of it matters now."

"Hehe," this line of discussion brought with it some rather deep thoughts about life.

The blue-haired beauty, face flame in a powerful flush, leaned in, stealing Mike's lips in a clumsy kiss. He was far from reluctant. No, if anything he only deepened their shared moment, bringing her brain to overload like a firework parade.

When they parted Ann-Marie twidled her thumbs shyly, looking through the rims of her glasses with a glow of crimson. A surge of heat swept across her body.

"You ever wonder if life's like a visual novel? You know the one's I mean. The storybook games I showed you. Maybe… we're protagonists… and our actions change the course of the story?"

"If anything, Nikki," Mike gave a hearty chuckle at such a thought, "You're the protagonist…. Me? I'm along for the ride… and I'm sure fucking pleased about getting my happy ending."

"M-me? The protagonist?" Nikki shook her head. "…I-I've never been the main character in a real life game before… I- I don't know what to say."

"Like I said," he continued, dangerously alluring yet sweet in his own special way, "It doesn't matter now, does it? We both win… It's our happy ending… together."

Such sentiment was overwhelming. Nikki felt her body, supercharged to the point of meltdown, shuddering under the allure of her passionate partner's gaze. "Hey… err… You know something? Those visual novel games always have a certain _kind of ending…._ You get where I'm going here?"

There came nothing but silence – at least until Mister Winters gave a slow, understanding nod of the head, flicking back his peroxide strands with the flare of a lady killer. "….I think I get the picture… but… you always wanna _level up_ when I'm out of condoms…. That leaves us at a crossroads."

However, regardless of the minor issue at the forefront, the sapphire-eyed gamer wouldn't allow herself to be deterred, "Your jokes make me cringe," she answered at a whisper, "But I'd still like to _level grind_. No work tomorrow… and it's double the EXP without the protection…."

"I'll go to the pharmacy for you tomorrow. Now… let me go flick off the light."

With that, Mikey crawled to his feet, edging across to reach for the bedside lamp.

All the while Nikki waited for her dashing rogue to return, pulling her turtleneck overhead and casting it aside with a less than dexterous flick of the wrist. There she sat, red-faced and beautiful, arms hugged around her slender waist for warmth – her plain black bra on show.

Darkness enveloped the room with a 'click' of the lamp, nothing but the low bluish-glow of the television to provide a thin aura to penetrate the darkness.

She watched as Mike returned to her side, tossing his shirt aside in a far stronger showing of poise and flare. His toned chest, his straight, brightened whitish-blonde hair, everything about him was the way she liked it. Looks weren't something Nikki judged, but damn did he have all of his stats properly aligned in the charisma department.

He reached out, sweeping up the young lady in his embrace – and all she could do was melt, her pulse thundering with every sweet passing moment. Breathless, captive and captivated in equal measure, she rasped, leaning in with a low, delicate whine as she stole Mike's lips.

Their shared embrace bore power and passion – yet just the right amount of softness. Nikki showed as much fire as she could in the climax of their kiss, tasting his lips with vigour before finally, flopping like a ragdoll in the aftermath. "I- I know I don't say it a lot but…"

With a gasp of breath she leaned in, staring into those beautiful green eyes of Mikey's with everything she had. "I love you. Not just some silly crush, either…. You mean a lot to me… and you were never the jerk people made you out to be."

Winters exhaled gently, giving a thankful flash of his trademark smile. "You're welcome… and you'll be happy to know that I love you as well, Ann-Marie…. I'm happy you're mine."

There was a tiny part of her, no matter how much she loathed to admit it, that secretly adored the feeling of being valued by another. She wasn't the sad girl who locked herself in her room anymore. Well, she wasn't sad, anyway, and she was locked in her room a little less than before. Progress was progress, after all.

It was time to show her adoration with actions, discarding the usual struggle with words. Nikki plucked Mike's free hand and brought it over, allowing it to rest upon the fabric of her bra, taking in the warmth of his touch against her skin.

"So… we both know what's up here…. How about we get down to it? My stats could sure use the boost…."

With a single deft movement, Mikey unclasped her bra and brought it away, emeralds of green shining bright. "Music to my ears…"

 **End**

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 **How did you like this entry? Did you enjoy it? Would you perhaps like to see a little more? As always, you're more than welcome to leave your thoughts. I value the feedback of all my readers. Keep on supporting Huniepop and Huniecam Studio. I'll see you in the next chapter of the series.**

 **Thanks again for your time and continued support!**


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